
C. H. Hertel and Susan Lautman Hertel
Comara Gallery
In his recent paintings, C. H. Hertel turns to ancient China for his direct inspiration. The circles he explains are primarily mandalas, cosmic diagrams; the hexagrams come from the I Ching, the Chinese Book of Divination of the Chou Dynnasty. Outwardly, the relation is evident and goes even further in such pieces as Yu #2 where the general form is reminiscent of that of the ceremonial vessel. There is even a metallic patina quality to the paint and a reference to incised pattern from the use of both plastic wood and glue. How essentially Eastern the ideograms are differs widely. As paintings they are more successful when the symbol is the most complicated and the least clarified, when the color is kept to soft variations of green, light red and grey-white, and when the collage is used as a restricted element. In contrast, the small sculptures of Susan Lautmann Hertel have their greatest impact when they stay closest to the experiences of life. Particularly expressive are the Horse Getting Up and the Horse Biting Foot, the Pregnant Mare and the Pregnant Dog. Usually, Susan Hertel uses bronze but she has also experimented with epoxy as a material although its texture lacks the warmth and vitality of the traditional metal. The paintings and sculptures, shown together, have reciprocal quality, complementing each other in an unexpected manner.
